Get an Art Education Degree and Become an Art TeacherArt Education Degrees: Painting a picture of art teacher salaries, schedules and perks Choose a Teaching Specialty | All Education Articles & Resources | Find Education Schools | More Arts Teaching Careers If you are an artist who wants to share your talent with the next generation, teaching art at a public school may be your dream job. Seeing young students improve their skills and find their own creative voice is incredibly satisfying for any teacher. But before beginning your career, the first step is to get an art education degree. An Art Education Degree: The Art of Teaching Art
In a community college or university setting, both full-time and adjunct teachers are usually required to attend meetings, keep office hours and complete other administrative tasks in addition to classroom time. Graduating with an Art Education Degree: Art Teachers In the Art ClassroomMost students love to come to art class. Some might see it as 'fun' rather than 'work,' so maintaining discipline may be more difficult than in most classrooms, but patience, organization and a sense of humor are all tools that come in handy for an art teacher. When the day is done, it is always rewarding to see students' creativity shine. Post-secondary art teachers don't face the same challenges, but an art teaching job at a community college may be more difficult to come by and pay less than full time public school jobs. Many college art teachers are part-time or adjunct, teaching to supplement their art careers. Art Teacher SalariesAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006, people holding full-time art teacher jobs earned between $43,194 and $57,731 along with teachers of other specialties. The range can depend on several factors, including location—many larger urban area schools pay more, depending on the state in which you teach—and degree level—the more experience and education you have, the higher you rank on the pay scale. Both private and public school teachers often work over 40 hours a week during the school year, so it may be difficult to find time to work on personal art projects. But with summers off, teaching art is a great way for artists to hold steady, meaningful employment and also have time to create art and travel. Art Education DegreesTo land an art teacher job in a public primary or secondary school, you must have an art education degree as well as a state or national teaching certificate. Some states require teachers to complete a post-graduate art education degree as well to fulfill certificate requirements. Check with your state's Department of Education to see what the requirements are in your area. Only master's program, PhD or EdD graduates are considered for art teacher jobs in community colleges or universities. Developing student creativity is an important part of every art teacher's job. Whatever age the students are, an art teacher may instruct students in many different media and techniques, including drawing, painting, sculpture and art appreciation. In many public schools, student art graces the walls of every classroom and hallway—the school is a canvas for student work, making art class an important part of the school community, and giving students a sense of self-worth and pride. For information on other artistic positions, such as drama and music teaching, see our arts teacher careers page. Artist-in-Residence ProgramsOne way to gain experience teaching art is to apply for an artist-in-residence program. Many schools, museums, community centers and other organizations have these programs, where artists spend time creating art and teaching or giving back to the organization in another way. In Chicago, for instance, the Art Resources in Teaching Program (ART), sends artists into classrooms to work with elementary and secondary school teachers in schools that don't have full-time art teachers. This is a great way to spend time in a classroom with students while experiencing a taste of what teaching art in a public school is like. Related Article: |
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